Heart Breaker, Dream Maker
by Red Paine
Summary: You started with nothing, made me everything, broke me in all the right ways. AU where Noiz has a little sister. rated T for disturbing themes
1. Chapter 1

"Her name is Symphony. Today is her birthday."

The boy blinked.

"She is your little sister. Look, she has your eyes, your hair."

"Why are you showing this to me if you won't show me the world?"

The woman placed a hand on her son's shoulder. He slapped her hand away. She let out an audible gasp. For a ten year old, he wasn't that strong, but he also wasn't holding back. How she wished he would. If he did, that'd mean he understood. That'd mean he knew what pain felt like. The woman didn't dare another attempt, instead, she sighed, "Good night, Noiz," and left the room with Symphony silent in her arms.

Noiz stared after her with blank eyes. A moment passed before he let out a slight laugh.

_Symphony? Really?_

No one ever told him where children came from. As far as he knew, his mother bought it from the same place the servants bought the groceries. But he somehow knew his parents would someday try to replace him. Their first child was a failure, a complete mistake. What sort of emotionless, selfish freak could possibly run his father's company? Noiz was what he was named for-an annoyance, something to be dealt with, nothing beautiful as a _symphony_. Sure, a symphony couldn't run a company, but it could marry a rich adolescent with experience in business. Perhaps he'd come from some dazzling rivaling company and the two would merge, making even more money. Noiz noticed that's all his father ever cared about. He'd hear him talk passionately of it at the dinner table.

_The old man will get what he wants. Then he'll leave me alone, and I can play by myself in peace. He'll stop pestering me about such stupid things, like why I break them. _

The little boy looked to his bed. It was devoid of any stuffed animals or any kid's toys; they laid in shreds and remnants on the floor. Noiz kicked a toy soldier's arm out of the way as he climbed into bed and rested his head on the pillows. It was too hot for blankets, so he just had his pajamas. The beginning of summer was always the warmest. June 13th. Just any other day. Noiz closed his eyes. Right before the darkness could overtake him, he made a wordless, selfish wish, then drifted off, only to forget it as he did every other night.

The next few months weren't that different, in contrast to his new sister. The only difference was that he never saw his mother. His father said she stayed locked in her room with Symphony, only coming out for meals and bathroom breaks. It wasn't surprising Noiz didn't see her. Noiz spent most of his days in his room as well.

Some months later, Noiz awoke to hear his nurse knocking on the door. As custom, she brought him his breakfast and his change of clothes for the day. She'd long since abandoned the trial of trying to dress him. Once, Noiz had a wardrobe of clothes, but it was taken away, since Noiz tore the garments apart. It took a few years to force him to accept the clothes on his back. He expertly dressed himself in a white button-up and jeans, leaving the socks, as usual. No matter what anyone would tell him, Noiz hated the feeling of his toes being restricted. Whenever relatives asked why Noiz wasn't allowed outside, his parents could say it was because he refused to wear shoes without lying.

Noiz brushed by his nurse and walked into the long hallway. He followed it to the stairwell, then down through the family rooms no one used except for his mother and him. Every morning he would scan them for changes, anything new that might prove useful to him or anything that would affect him. A new baby meant many new things. Noiz found a large bin of baby toys in the living room, next to a bouncy seat covered in cartoon duckies. There was a mini toilet in the bathroom. But the biggest change was the loud shrieking resounding from the kitchen.

Noiz's mother was sitting before Symphony by the dining table, holding a jar of baby food and a spoon with sloppy green stuff in it. Her usually tight, neat bun was in an unkempt blonde mess. Dark circles masked her cheeks. She let out a low breath, "Morning, Noiz."

Noiz spoke with her monotonously, only making observations aloud and never particularly concerned about his mother or her baby, "You're tired."

"Yes, yes I am," she put down the spoon and jar in front of Symphony, who kept crying, "Unlike you, I can't sleep through thunderstorms."

"A nurse could have fed her."

She shook her head, "Even if you ever learn compassion, you will never understand a mother's love for her children."

"You love me?"

"Of course I do. You're my son. I love you just as much as I love Symphony."

Noiz glanced at the infant's red, pinched face, wailing like there was no tomorrow, "No one could love something that ugly and obnoxious. I guess you don't love me either."

If she were anyone else, Noiz's mother would have been horrified by his words, but as she wasn't, she expected nothing else. Symphony knocked the baby food from her highchair tray. It clinked against the tile kitchen floor, rolling away. Noiz watched it, waiting for his mother to retrieve it, but she remained. A faint yawn escaped her lips as she rose, "Noiz?"

"What."

"Feed your sister for me, please. I need rest."

"You're requesting I sustain the worm."

"Yes. It will benefit you."

"How?"

"Like I said, you will never understand a mother's love."

With that, she exited the kitchen, leaving Noiz with his sister. Symphony heard the door shut and closed her mouth to wipe away her tears. Her tiny green eyes mirrored Noiz's, unsure of who this stranger was and what they were going to do next. Noiz eyed her warily, perplexed as to why she stopped crying. He had only been able to observe his mother, his father, and the nurses and maids. He only knew how adults behaved and what to expect from them. A baby was something he'd never seen before. Noiz waited a few minutes so he could figure out Symphony was incapable of escaping her highchair, then bent to pick up the jar. Turning to sit in his mother's chair, he examined the label. Since he'd never been to school, his nurse taught him to read and write, though his skills were sloppy since he hardly ever used them.

"Peas… and… y-... yams? Ew," Noiz looked to Symphony, "No wonder you won't shut up. This stuff sounds terrible."

Noiz noticed the green smudge on her bib and assumed she was crying because she didn't like the food. He set the jar of shit down and looked for something else. On the table was also a white bottle with a rubber top. It had a label that had numbers on it. Symphony's eyes latched onto it when Noiz shook the liquid inside.

"Did you want this instead? This… ba-bee form-yula?"

The boy lifted the rubber top to Symphony's lips, and she gratefully began drinking. Noiz waited for her to take the bottle from him, but she never did. He impatiently set it down, and she started to cry again.

"Oh, hush. Just grab it and drink, jerk."

Symphony bawled, tears and snot streaming down her face. Noiz shouted, "Just grab it! Here!"

He took her hands and wrapped them around the bottle, then guided them to her mouth. Noiz made sure she was holding it before removing his hands. Symphony suckled away audibly.

_Do babies ever stop making noise?_

Very abruptly, Symphony dropped the bottle and it squirted milk all over her. She automatically began crying again. Noiz rolled his eyes, groaning and clapping his hands over his ears. At that moment, a maid came in and screamed. The sound forced Noiz to turn around. Of course, it had to be one of the maids that feared Noiz. It had to be when his face was dark with annoyance. It had to be when the baby was crying.

"Get away from her!" she cried, eyes wide. Noiz lowered his hands and didn't move.

"I didn't hurt her."

The maid quickly reached over and grabbed a meat knife from the rack on the counter. She poised it at him, the blade shaking in her unsteady hands, "I said, get away!"

Noiz's gaze drifted lazily to the knife, then back to the maid's eyes. Keeping them locked on to her, he approached her. She stayed rooted to the spot, making strangled gasps when Noiz took the knife from her. He made sure she was watching when he dragged the blade's tip across his cheek. The cut wasn't deep, but blood instantly dribbled down his neck. The maid's pupils shrank. Noiz made no utterance of pain, as he didn't feel it. Very slowly, his palm opened, and the blade clanked to the floor. Symphony screamed louder in time with the maid's. Half a second later, a large man came into the kitchen and grabbed Noiz by the arm and hauled him up the stairs back into his room. Noiz gave all the resistance he knew, which would never be enough against a grown man. All the kicking and punching and biting wouldn't be enough for the man to stop from throwing him into his room and glowering into his eyes.

"Touch my daughter again and I'll cut your damned throat."

The man slammed the door behind him. Noiz stood there, alone, his cut still leaking blood. He reached up absently to trace his fingers over it, and looked down at them, examining the red.

_Go ahead. It's not like I'd feel it or anything._

Noiz sighed, crossing his room to the window seat on the opposite wall. The only view it provided was of the street in front of the house. He knew the stores, the other houses, the other people's routines. He'd already learned it. There was nothing interesting out there. But there wasn't anything to break in here, nothing to learn in here, so why not watch a rerun of his only show?

_And yet, it's not even noon._


	2. Chapter 2

_How long has it been?_

Noiz looked down at his long, delicate fingers, devoid of any marks. They hadn't been used since before Noiz could remember. His green eyes wandered to his clothes. A white t-shirt, and a pair of faded jeans. From anyone else's point of view, they appeared unused too. But it was one of many outfits Noiz wore everyday. All dressed up and nowhere to go.

_I haven't broken anything. Why won't they let me out?_

As a young teen, Noiz was all hormones and energy. His body no longer itched to destroy, but it _burned _with the desire to _move. _The boy wanted to run a thousand miles, jump over mountains, fly through the air. Like he did everyday, Noiz placed his hand on the place in the wall where the window used to be.

_I wonder if the sky's still blue._

Life had been sheltered before that fated day all those years ago. Since Noiz lacked comprehension of pain, including other people's, his parents feared letting him outside again. The one time they allowed it, the boy had been four, and nearly murdered an old man for accidentally stumbling into him. Noiz could recall knocking him off his feet, taking his cane and beating him mercilessly until his father came running. Before that, it was instinct that told Noiz rebellion was violence. His father confirmed it when he slapped Noiz upside the face and then apologized repeatedly to the elderly man. As well as the sight, Noiz could also remember falling back from the force, though the sensation was never tangible.

By the age of five, Noiz's parents came to the conclusion he was too dangerous to allow around other people. His father urged his mother to let him get taken away, most likely to a psychiatric ward. What he couldn't understand is why his wife loved Noiz. She had hope for Noiz someday learning to be more than what he was. Being a mother, she willed up faith that her son would one day grow to be a real man, and understand things beyond himself. Even now, after her other child turned five, she still had enough love for Noiz to see what he could be.

Of course, that was hard to notice, as Noiz wasn't even allowed out of his room anymore. Ever since he was mistaken for harming Symphony, which was believed to be possible in any case, Noiz was seen as a much greater threat to others. His nurse didn't come to him with food and clothes anymore. They were left to him through a small, bowling ball-sized window next to the door while Noiz was sleeping. Dirty clothes were disposed of in a chute connected to the same window. Noiz's father hired people to expand Noiz's room, adding a fully equipped bathroom with a toilet, sink, and shower. If he ran out of soap or toiletries, it was provided to him through the same window the food came in. That window was the only contact Noiz had with the outside world. There were no others. He couldn't see outside. Noiz didn't know if the same stores were still there or if the same people walked the streets. He didn't know if there were even streets. As far as he could tell, their house had moved to another planet, into no-man's land, where nobody would dare to come. While there was still a door connecting Noiz's room to the hallway, it might as well have been just another part of the wall. The thing hadn't been opened in over three years. It only took one of them for Noiz to forget what his mother looked like.

Sighing, Noiz flopped onto the sofa set before the opposite wall. He rummaged through piles of blankets and pillows to find the remote, and flicked on the television. This was what his parents gave as entertainment, in addition to gaming consoles and hand-held electronics, all of them incapable of connecting to the internet and allowing him contact with other people. Noiz usually beat every game within a month, if not two, but as he had nothing else to do, he'd beat it twice on the hardest setting, then stack it against the left wall. The left wall was a rainbow of trophies and conquests. It was the only accomplishment Noiz achieved in his life. Fifteen years old, and what did he have to show for it?

_I can't read the books on my shelves. I don't know how to multiply. What have I done? I've beaten every video game in Germany. _

Noiz's head went to his hands.

_What kind of life is this? Isn't there more? I want to __**learn**__, damn it! How can they expect a human to live this way?!_

He lapsed into a hysteric episode, one that wasn't uncommon. He'd punch the wall until his knuckles cracked. He'd scream his throat raw and bloody. Once Noiz thought he heard footsteps outside, which only egged him on, but never produced anything. After it was over he'd collapse where he was standing and faint. Sometimes he'd vomit, shiver uncontrollably, or even have blurred vision. Other times he'd tear at his own flesh, hoping to feel it, even just the pressure of his teeth or nails on his skin, all to no avail. Whatever happened, Noiz never remember afterwards, but he'd be stuck with cleaning up any bile or blood by himself. If anyone knew, it was because Noiz told them. The door stayed shut.

"_Open this fucking door!" _Noiz cried, tears rolling down his cheeks, "_Let me out! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't know any better! I won't hurt her again! Please, let me out! LET ME OUT!" _

He slid down on his knees, pressing his forehead to the wooden door that could only be unlocked from the outside.

"I'm _human_... I _swear_ I'm _**human**_… Please..."

No answer.

"_**PLEASE!**_"

A loud bang sounded on the door, jarring Noiz's skull. Someone, older, masculine and undeniably familiar, shouted back, "_**YOU'RE NOT FUCKING HUMAN! GO BACK TO YOUR CORNER AND ROT LIKE THE FILTHY MONSTER YOU ARE!**_"

"How _dare _you say that to our son?!" another familiar, feminine voice.

"_**HE IS NOT OUR SON. HE IS A DAMNED MONSTER.**_"

"Mama? Papa?" a new voice, high-pitched and young, "What are you fighting about?"

"N-nothing, sweety."

Noiz's eyes widened, "Symphony?"

"Mama, who's in there? How does he know my name?"

"Symphony! It's me, Noiz!"

"Who's Noiz?"

The feminine voice replied with a sigh, "Your big brother."

"... That's not right. I don't have any brothers or sisters."

"Symphony…" Noiz's voice cracked, "I'm so sorry, Symphony. I didn't mean to hurt you…"

"Mama, Papa, what's going on?"

"Go to your room," the deepest voice said.

"But, Papa - -"

"Your _room_, Symphony."

"... Yes, Papa."

Retreating footsteps sounded through Noiz's ears. He could hear his blood pounding in his ears and. The man's voice on the other side dripped venom.

"_**You're lucky to have lived this long. I should've killed you long ago. Should I hear another word, another mere sound out of that room, I will. Suffer in silence, you fucking demon. No one cares you're in there and you're sure as hell never getting out. You don't deserve the light of day or the presence of another human. You don't deserve that room. Count your damned blessings while you have them. The next time someone nears this door, it's to drag your corpse to its miserable grave.**_"

Noiz didn't know if they really said that to him. He might have just imagined the whole thing as a hallucination from the episode. But, one thing was for sure: Noiz never cried again.


	3. Chapter 3

Noiz sat on the floor with his back against the wall. Flashing lights from the television were the only light source in the room. It highlighted Noiz's face and bare chest, the shadows in his cheekbones and exposed ribs a pale blue. He watched the blues with blank eyes. Anyone who didn't know Noiz or his predicament would have been mortified by how scrawny he was. Noiz hadn't eaten for two days, leaving the food and clothes untouched in the window. He'd sat in the same place, in the same pants, waiting, starting from the moment his father told him to rot. The words echoed in his head.

_Rot like the filthy monster you are!_

He wanted to cry before. Noiz didn't want to die. Maybe he didn't care about his parents, or Symphony. He had doubts if he even cared about himself. Although, unlike with his family, Noiz knew who he was. He wasn't as stupid as they made him out to be. Despite what his father might've thought, Noiz was very smart for someone who'd never been to a real school.

Noiz was observant, if nothing else. He knew why the windows were removed. It was the same reason Symphony didn't know her brother's name. Their parents tried to erase Noiz's existence. No one was to know he was there, taking up space and never leaving said space. He noticed when the seasons changed, not because of the weather channel on his television, but because of the different foods that were brought to him. Certain fruits only grew in certain seasons, so he could base the season off of his meals.

But that was as far as the border let him. There was nothing else to observe, nothing to learn about or notice. Nothing _changed_. Noiz may not have known if his mother loved him, but he knew for a fact that he was smart and wanted the chance to expand his knowledge beyond that of anyone else's. Not to prove anything to anyone, not as a competition, but for the sole purpose that Noiz loved to do it. He used to stare at his books often, hoping to put together those strange symbols into words and read them. But as his abilities were already weak, they were dulled by isolation. Noiz abandoned his bookshelves and allowed it to dust over long ago.

_How can I learn when they won't give me the chance?_

There was nothing giving hope to Noiz that the door would open. He was convinced it would stay locked for the rest of his life. Until it ended, Noiz would be alone, uneducated, in the dark, with his mind melting away. Noiz didn't want that as much as he didn't want to die. But he came to accept after a few hours of pure thinking, there was no chance of getting out. Death would be the only release. Sure, Noiz's meals came with utensils sharp enough to penetrate flesh, but Noiz wanted to rot, as he was told. Noiz knew that as well as smart, he was spiteful, and wanted his parents to feel remorse. He would die in the exact same way he was told. Noiz would do what he seldom did before symphony.

Noiz would obey. And it would cost his parents their firstborn.

Now, all there was to be done was wait. The process wouldn't hurt, as he could feel hunger no more than he could pain. Noiz wasn't religious; he didn't think there'd be some bright light or any angels guiding him to heaven or banishing him to hell. He believed it would be like falling asleep without having any dreams. No thinking, no consciousness. Just fading away. Noiz closed his eyes with the resolve he'd never open them again. The resolve was broken when he heard a knock on the door. His heart jerked as his eyes flew open and locked on to the door across from him.

"Noiz? That's your name, right?"

It was the little girl from before. Symphony, his little sister. For some reason, Noiz didn't feel any malice toward her. She was part of the reason he was locked away, but couldn't bring himself to hate her as he did the others. Noiz silently pondered how that could be whilst she continued speaking.

"You said you hurt me, but I don't remember you."

_You were just a baby… _

"Hey, Noiz. Let me in, alright?"

Noiz paused, muttering lowly, "Why?"

"If you let me in, I'll help you."

"Why would you want to help me?" Noiz brought his head to his knees, "Just leave me to rot like they did."

"They?"

"Your parents. They'll raise you to be like them, to want money and power instead of a broken son."

"It's okay, I'm not like them."

Noiz brought his head up.

"Can you open the door?"

"I can't. It unlocks from the outside."

There was a period of silence before Noiz heard her go, "Darn it! I can't open it either. I need the key."

"... Just forget it."

"What? Why? Don't you want me to help you?"

Noiz's head dropped back into his legs. He wrapped his arms around them and curled tighter into himself, "Forget about me, Symphony. I was never truly here in the first place."

"Well, that might be what they think, but I think you're in there. I think you're in there and you want someone to bust you out."

Noiz squeezed his legs harder.

"I'll come back for you, okay? I just have to find the key. I'll be right back!"

Her feet were light, padding away quickly as she most likely ran away from the door. Noiz, sitting in darkness, stared at his feet. Then, his knees popped as Noiz stood up and crossed the room. Bending down, Noiz grabbed the freshest meal by the window and ate it, only to regurgitate it into the toilet half an hour later.


	4. Chapter 4

The television's clock read 1:19 a.m. when Noiz checked for the thousandth time. He'd stayed up, still waiting, but not for Death. This time Noiz waited for life to take him away from this dark prison. In his mind, Noiz's subconscious commenced an assault on his heart.

_Freedom? _

_Ha! _

_It's too good to be true, isn't it? _

_You're not ever getting out of here._

Despite what the voices snickered, Noiz could feel it. There was a spark in his chest. It sped up his heart, making his body hum. At first, Noiz didn't recognize it. Years had deprived him of this sensation, this emotion that could only be hope. Maybe even happiness.

_Symphony will come back._

Noiz was on his feet, staring down at himself, at his ribs and excessively defined hip bones. He'd managed to ingest some light food without retching all over the bathroom. It clearly wasn't going to make a difference right away, but Noiz could tell he'd gotten energy from the food. There wasn't enough to empower him or give Noiz what he needed to take on the world. But, Noiz no longer felt as though he were fading. The flame, however weak, had begun to burn brighter inside of him.

_I'm going to get out! I'll go out, I'll learn to read, I'll see the sun! _

_Come for me, Symphony!_

_She's not coming. Do you know how late it is? It's way past her bedtime._

_There's still hope._

_Yeah, but where has that gotten you before?_

Noiz shook his head in resolution.

_There's still hope, damnit._

Sure enough, Noiz heard a rustling behind his door. His heart fluttered, a caged bird about to be released. Then he heard the lock click. Noiz's mouth parted slightly as he watched, amazed, at the opening door. The sound it made was like nails on a chalkboard, but all Noiz could hear was the thundering of his blood in his ears. It finally opened all the way, letting in light from the illuminated hallway.

This was the moment where Noiz started believing angels were real.

Symphony had hair the color of Noiz's down to her stomach. Her eyes were a tad rounder than his, as was her heart-shaped face. The little girl wore a precious white night gown, though it may as well have been Heaven's robes. With the light shining behind her, Symphony appeared to glow, and the light became greater when she spoke.

"Noiz?"

Her green eyes searched the room, too dark for her to see. She wasn't accustomed like Noiz was to the lack of lamps. Noiz kept a hand over his eyes as he flicked on the light switch, then slowly removed it, blinking harshly at the new atmosphere. Symphony could see him, and Noiz could see her better, and he could see the odd shape in her hands. It was a little stuffed animal, a light green rabbit with floppy ears. Noiz would've easily destroyed such a thing if he were her age. Now, an adolescent, Noiz regarded the bunny without much care. His eyes locked onto Symphony's across the room.

"Noiz?" she cocked her head to the side like a confused dog, "Is that you?"

"Y-yeah…"

The situation suddenly became uncomfortable to Noiz. He hadn't seen a human being in the flesh for so long. Having people around was starting to overwhelm him. Noiz clenched his hands into fists to stop them from shaking when Symphony approached him.

Symphony's eyes widened on Noiz's bare chest, "Are you hungry?"

"No, I'm n-not."

"My, you're skinny. Didn't they feed you?"

"They fed me… I just didn't eat any of it… I didn't want their food…"

Symphony frowned, clutching her stuffed animal like an infant. Careful, with obvious affection, the complete opposite of how Noiz treated his toys. Already Noiz could see his parents probably valued Symphony so much more than him. A child that was gentle and constructive was much better than the opposite violent and destructive. One could teach such a child how to create a utopia for the company, and raise so much money. That was the only highlight Noiz could recall about his father, the adoration of money. Sadly, as he did his mother, Noiz forgot what he looked like too.

"Symphony…"

"Yeah?"

Noiz bowed his head, his frame slumping, "I'm sorry I hurt you. They kept me in here so I wouldn't do it again. Please, forgive me."

Again. Symphony looked baffled, "But you didn't. I don't think you did, at least. Even if it happened, it was so long ago that it doesn't matter," she smiled, and Noiz noticed she'd lost one of her baby teeth, "I'll forgive you, if that's what you want. Okay?"

"That's all I've wanted for years."

"Great! Well, let's go! I'll get you some food. Follow me!"

She held out the arm that wasn't holding her bunny to Noiz. Noiz paused a minute. It'd been a while since Noiz was near someone, much less, _touching_ someone. Although he didn't necessarily feel it, Noiz wrapped his slim fingers around her tiny hand, and something clicked inside. Noiz had to hunch over a little, as Symphony only came up to his thighs, to keep a grasp on her. As she led him outside, Noiz had to resist every urge to jump out the window. His nerves were killing him, telling him he needed to run, that eyes were everywhere, and he'd get found out. Noiz feared the idea. He'd get closed off again, and what would they do to Symphony?

Thankfully, it was the middle of the night, so everyone, including the maids, were asleep. The kitchen was deserted, neat as a pin. Symphony clicked the switch by the sink, and a single lamp on the ceiling lit up the room. She set her little rabbit on the counter. Noiz kept his eyes on her as she opened the freezer. Momentarily, Noiz blinked at the bunny.

"You like your toy?"

"Toy?" Symphony got a frozen package out, shut the door, and brushed the frost off, "Oh, Usagi! Usagi is my best friend. I love Usagi."

"Usagi?"

"It's Japanese for 'rabbit'. Papa got her for me from Japan, so I figured it was her name. Rabbits are my favorite animal, you know. What's your favorite animal?"

"Um…" Noiz hadn't given much thought to the animal kingdom. There had been animals in the video games he played, but most of them he had to shoot if not avoid as obstacles, "I like bunnies too, I guess."

"We both have the same favorite animal!" Symphony beamed, unwrapping the frozen package and throwing it into the microwave oven. She set the dial to let it cook, then used a stool to climb onto the counter and sit next to Usagi. Noiz sat on the opposite countertop, long legs touching the tile floor while Symphony's dangled in the air. She kicked them in an unheard rhythm, "What's your favoriiiiiiiiiite season?"

"U-uh, I don't know…"

"You don't know the seasons?"

"No, I do."

Symphony recited them anyway, "Winter, spring, summer, fall!" she thought for a moment, "I like summer the best! No school, pretty weather, though I don't like the thunderstorms… And my birthday is in the summer! June 13th. When's your birthday, Noiz?"

Noiz squirmed a little, "I don't know…"

A silence developed before Symphony said happily, "Don't worry, Noiz! If you don't have one, then you can have mine! We'll have the same birthday so we can both celebrate and have cake!"

Noiz genuinely smiled.

"Oh! It's ready!"

Symphony hopped off the counter. She donned a pair of over-sized oven mitts from a nearby drawer and used them to take it out. Expertly, Symphony put it on a platter. Noiz saw steam rise over her shoulder.

"What is that?" he asked curiously.

"The best food in the world," Symphony took a chunk off of it, put it on a paper plate, and handed it to Noiz, "Eat up!"

Noiz observed the triangular slice of whatever it was. It looked alright, topped mostly with cheese. He blew on it to cool it off, took a bite, and said, "This is really good. I've never had it before."

"It's an Italian dish, though Papa said it was something Americans preferred. 'Pizza' he called it."

"I like pizza."

"Me too! But you know what I love most of all?"

"What?"

"My big brother!"

Noiz almost choked on his pizza, "But we just met." _Officially._

"So? Don't you love me?"

Before Noiz could answer, a pair of thudding footsteps approached the kitchen. The hairs on the back of Noiz's neck stood on end as a large man burst through the doors, decked out in pajamas as red as his face. He had hair the same shade as Noiz did, with the same stubborn jawline. Noiz didn't need to know what this man looked like to recognize his voice and the affect it had on him.

"_**What the bloody hell is going on here?!**_"


	5. Chapter 5

Noiz shrank back against the countertop. His eyes were wide and his face was pale as the large man shouted. A newfound horror paralyzed him. There was nothing Noiz could do but imagine the darkness, imagine returning to his cage.

"_**The nerve, Symphony! I cannot believe you would disobey me!**_"

"Papa, I'm sorry!" Symphony was only a child. If anyone yelled at her, of course she'd start crying. The good one, the follower, was supposed to abide by the rules. But there she was, helping a monster, "Noiz is a gentleman! He'd never hurt anyone!"

Her father's voice grew grimly silent, "How do you know that? Noiz is not human, Symphony. It is a _monster_ that only knows destruction."

"W-well," Symphony was well into bawling, sniffing every few seconds, "If you'd-d taught… him not to th-then… maybe he'd, be, different!"

"_**We did! We tried everything!**_"

"M-maybe… you taught him b-but, did, you, let him learn?"

The words brought Noiz out of the clouds. Noiz looked at her in wonder, then shot out when her father went to strike her. His hands were weak, but he stopped the blow with ease. Symphony ducked through Noiz's legs. She pressed her face into the side of his leg, trying to hide from the scary man.

"_**Get your hands off of me, vile vermin!**_"

Just as he was about to take back his hand and punch Noiz, someone shoved him to the side. Noiz blinked at the woman who had snuck up behind his father, a familiar stranger. Her blonde hair was in a messy bun. There were crow's feet at the sides of her eyes, though faint. Symphony seemed to be a younger version of this lady. She had her eyes, which stared at Noiz, colored as his own.

"Noiz?" her voice sounded far off to herself, full of wonder and shock. She took a few slow steps before rushing to Noiz and taking him in her arms. Only a head shorter, she hugged Noiz fiercely, weeping into his shoulder. Symphony tugged on her sleeve, and the woman brought her into the embrace, "My children… My babies, they're alright. They're together," she kissed the top of Symphony's head and then Noiz's cheek. She smiled at him, "Mama's here. Everything's going to be okay. You're safe now."

While they weren't paying attention, Noiz's father had gotten to his feet and was fuming at them. For once, he didn't shout, only observed the demon winning over him. Noiz kept his eyes on the man while considering whether or not it was alright to return his mother's embrace. It was the first gesture of affection he could remember receiving. From countless movies on television, he knew the usual thing to do was enclose her in his arms and smile. It was something about the way his father looked at him that made him hesitate.

"Step away, dear," he growled, "It's gonna strike."

The woman whirled on him. Holding her children's hands, she looked daggers at her husband, "Listen here. I love you, I really do. But I'd never love anyone enough to let go of my kids. Look at them," she nodded her head to Symphony, "Our little girl is fine. Not a scratch on her. Not now, and not then. You got your suspicions and locked him away and, well, you're the man of the house, so I have to respect your decisions. But I never stopped loving myson. I've kept my silence all these years because I knew you'd never believe me. Now I have proof," she raised her voice a little, "Noiz is harmless! He should be allowed outside!"

"You trust this devil?!"

"I trust him with our daughter. It's my turn to make a decision," she glanced to Noiz, "You're never going back to that room again. You will stay with Symphony. Is that alright?" Noiz nodded, and she returned her gaze to the fuming man across from her, "Lock him away and I'll call the police. You'll be jailed for child abuse, as will I, but no matter. Noiz would be free."

"And what of Symphony?"

"Noiz will protect her."

_I will?_

_Why?_

_Wait… I just did._

_Why?_

_I would…_

_I will. _

"With my life," Noiz stuttered, too nervous to meet the man's eyes, "I will protect her with my life."

"Say that to my face."

Noiz jerked, swallowing, stared dead into the dilated pupils he grew to hate, "I will protect Symphony with my life, however worthless you think it is."

Nothing was said for a good few minutes. Eventually, Symphony's father let out a growl, "So be it." And went back upstairs to get some sleep. Symphony and his mom were too busy celebrating to notice his father's death glare. Noiz did, and no amount of comfort could convince him everything was going to be okay.

* * *

The little girl's room wasn't what Noiz was expecting. Stereotypical pink was apparently not Symphony's favorite color, and therefore not the color of her room. It was a rainbow of various colors, none of which came close to pink. Her walls were a pale sky blue, and the carpet was white. In the corner was a purple dresser, next to a yellow toy box, neighboring a bookshelf of red. A picasso-themed bed lay on the opposite side. There was a miniature indigo table with matching chairs in the center of the room, covered by a tea party set and occupied by three unique stuffed animals. Symphony sat Noiz down in her large plushie panda bear chair, and introduced all of them to him.

"This is Koko," she held out a purple cat, soft and light in Noiz's hands, "She's friends with every fish she meets! And this," she handed him a little polar bear, "Is Nova. She loves the stars."

"Will Nova show me the stars sometime? I've forgotten what they look like."

Symphony smiled, "Of course! Oh," she picked up a stuffed rabbit, about the same size as Usagi, only it was black, "This is Usagi's brother, Modoki! He and Usagi do everything together, but Usagi is my favorite."

"I like Modoki."

"Me too!"

Noiz set them all back into their seats, shifting slightly, "What are your other friends' names?"

"These are all of my friends."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Symphony got a little quieter, though she didn't sound sad, "Mom says I need to make more. But I don't like them. They're too… small."

"You're about average height, I think, for your age."

"I meant on the inside."

"... Oh."

For the next twenty minutes, Symphony showed Noiz the rest of her room. All of her crayon sketches, finger paintings, and homemade plastic jewelry were shoved at Noiz; he didn't mind. He kept a smile on his face as Symphony introduced him to her world, unconsciously expanding his own. Following that, it was time for Symphony to go back to bed. She drowsily crawled into bed, only after she brought her stuffed animals in with her under the covers. Noiz stood awkwardly in the room.

"C'mon, Noiz," she called with a groggy voice, yawning, "You can share with me."

"O-okay…"

He slipped the vibrant sheet over his shoulders and tried his best to curl into a ball on the side of the bed, giving Symphony as much room as possible. What made him tremble was the anxiety of what tomorrow might bring. Noiz didn't know what to expect, and feared every possibility. Then, Symphony snuggled up behind Noiz, pressing her little face in between his shoulderblades. Noiz froze a second. He eventually drifted off, somewhat at peace, because at least he wasn't alone anymore.


	6. Chapter 6

_There, across the street, people. The street on the other side of the house. People. More of them. So many, Noiz thought. So many. _

_None of them looked at him. He stood in the center of the street, unoccupied by any cars or pedestrians. They seemed to mill around him as though he were an obstacle, but never met his eyes or addressed him as a human. Noiz felt his heart rejecting its prison. _

"_Hello?"_

_An echo, far off, was all Noiz got as an answer. No one replied or took note Noiz said anything. The need to be heard overwhelmed him. Noiz took a step forward to walk into an invisible wall. He put his palms against the surface._

_Glass?_

_After knocking a few times, Noiz decided it had to be glass. His fingertips had no sensation, how was he supposed to know what glass felt like? It was just common knowledge glass was the only transparent material. _

_I can break glass. I'm strong._

_Noiz raised a hand to punch, and came to a halt when he realized all the people had stopped walking. They were all staring at him, unmoving. It would've been better if they had eyes to watch him with, much less faces. All of them were no different then the pale, featureless mannequins in the surrounding shops' windows. A panic rose in Noiz's already hyper pulse._

_What are they doing? What do they want with me?_

…

_I need to get out._

_Noiz swung a definite fist into the glass. As expected, he didn't feel it. Neither did the glass, apparently. It was unscathed when Noiz relaxed his hand. He tried kicking, which produced the same results. Dark blue and green clouded Noiz's knuckles, toes, kneecaps, elbows, every part of his body that he used to attempt to shatter the wall. Noiz even went as far as to throw his entire body backwards into the wall behind him. He jumped for the ceiling, jabbed to the sides, went for any openings on the floor, all for naught. Meanwhile, the people remained. _

_A cry resonated through Noiz's ears. It was low, male. Adolescent. Agonized. Noiz waited for another and received silence instead. He glanced down, then did a double take. Red marks laced his hands. _

_Am I bleeding? _

_He blinked at it. _

_Was that scream… mine?_

_I don't remember._

_The blood beaded around Noiz's cuts, tiny droplets lined up like dew on a spiderweb. Noiz didn't regard it with much concern. Whenever he'd bled before, it just dried and scabbed over. He didn't feel it, it was no different than his unmarked skin. It healed by itself, no need to bother it. Noiz made to strike again, when the blood shifted._

_What the hell?_

_Every bead acted as the blade of a scissor and spread across Noiz's hand while slicing deep into the meat. Noiz's eyes widened. Even if he couldn't feel it, wounds that big didn't heal by themselves. Did they? _

_This is a dream, right?_

_I'm dreaming?_

_It can't _feel _real. _

_Can I wake up?_

_Can I get out?_

_The red turned a shade darker, and began pouring out of Noiz's hand. His other mirrored it. A fountain of crimson, in a glass cube cage. Noiz's head started to buzz as a large puddle formed at his ankles. It rose to his calves. _

"_Help me!" this time he heard himself call, "Can't you see me? Help!"_

_They stayed where they were. Noiz screamed louder._

"_GET ME OUT!"_

_Almost as if they teleported, the people were suddenly surrounding the glass. Noiz looked on in horror when one placed their hand on the glass, and its arm went through the wall. For some reason, Noiz couldn't move. The person's hand reached his own. A sickening cracking sound broke through the silence. Noiz's fingers began twisting out of place and snapping in the wrong directions. Blood gushed in spurts with each jerk. He gasped and withdrew into the opposite wall, where the same thing happened again. The touch wrenched his wrists backwards, down, inward. Next were his forearms. After a few minutes, Noiz looked like a praying mantis. That nauseating noise jittered Noiz's teeth the entire time. As custom, Noiz didn't feel the pain. It didn't stop the fear. He buckled to the ground, hopefully where the people couldn't get to him, and waited for it to stop._

"_Noiz."_

_Noiz quickly brought his head up to see a little girl holding a green bunny, "Symphony?"_

_She had a face, and it was sad. Noiz didn't think he'd ever seen her in any mood but happy. He didn't like this new face. _

"_Symphony…"_

_Symphony's tiny pink lips pursed into a melancholy smile. It crept through Noiz like ice in his veins. The blood had reached his waist by that point._

"_Help me."_

"_Noiz," the one thing she said was his name, in a tone Noiz hated as much as her face, "Noiz. Noiz. Noiz."_

"_Symphony, please!"_

_Around the walls, the people had started to melt. Like wax figures in a museum, their plain heads dripped and caved in as if heat softened them. The cracking subsided until it vanished altogether. Soon, all Noiz could hear was Symphony's heartbeat. It was slow, rhythmic, and impossibly audible. Symphony didn't seem to care. She kept her green eyes on Noiz, lidded, as if she knew something was going to happen that Noiz didn't. The expression made Noiz squirm._

"_Symphony…?"_

_On the other end of the road, far behind Symphony, Noiz saw the outline of a large object approaching steadily. It grew as it came closer. Faster and faster._

_A car._

"_Symphony… Symphony, get out of the way."_

_Symphony didn't move._

"_Symphony."_

_She closed her eyes, "Noiz."_

"SYMPHONY!" and Noiz opened his.

Sweat scoured Noiz's body. The sheets were twisted around his legs, partially falling off the bed. Noiz sat bolt upright, panting for lost breath, trembling violently. A moment ticked by before Noiz checked to see the space next to him was vacant. His heartbeat wouldn't have settled if he hadn't swerved to the other side to find Symphony sitting on one her her chairs by the side of the bed.

"Noiz, are you okay?" she furrowed her brow, "Were you having a nightmare?"

Noiz inhaled deeply, "Y-yeah… nightmare…"

"I'm sorry… Here!" she got up and bounced back with Modoki in her arms, "This is yours now."

"I couldn't. He's important to Usagi."

"Yeah, but, Usagi protects me from my nightmares. You're my brother so Usagi's brother will protect you."

She gave Noiz the little black rabbit with a reassuring grin. Noiz examined the stuffed animal pensively, and eventually smiled back at Symphony, "Thank you."

"Well, it's around noon. It's summer time so I don't have to go to school. We have the whole day to ourselves."

"Oh… Where are they?"

"Mama and Papa? Papa's working. Mama's out with her friends."

_They really trust us alone together?_

"C'mon!" Symphony returned to her usual merry self, "It's breakfast time. Do you like pancakes?"

"I've never had them."

"Then I'll make you some, let's go! And be sure to bring your bunny!"

The little girl pranced out of the room, Usagi flopping about in her grasp. Noiz followed suit, feeling rather ridiculous but honored to carry Modoki down to the kitchen. Along the way, Noiz ran into a maid. She wasn't a stranger, although Noiz couldn't recall where he'd last seen her. The way she looked at him definitely wasn't unknown either. Full of doubt, wonder, with something concealed in the background. He didn't have a chance to say hello; she scurried down the hallway without saying a word, and left Noiz to go after his awaited pancakes.


End file.
